It feels like we had all been looking forward to Pratoni since the curtain came down on Tokyo.
Team GB supporters were put in full force at Pratoni del Vivaro
The build up as palpable as the previous year and for me personally, it was so different. It’s hard as a freelancer to know when to make the trip, will the trip be worthwhile, can you make it pay and what outcomes you need to call it a success.
The build up had been a little turbulent, with the trip on and off and back in again. A fortunate conversation at Burghley resulted in some fabulously friendly travel companions joining me on the journey - Pam & Charles Cunningham from Irish Eventing Times - as it happens our Planes pulled up at neighbouring gates at Fiumicino airport in Rome and our Pratoni adventure began.
Eventing amidst the foothills of Rome, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
We collected our pristine white hire car from the airport and we began the short drive up into the hills above Rome. Soon the city suburbs gave way to rolling hills and fields of equine herds. Thankfully for the smallest of the trio, who had about half an inch to move about in the back of our small hire car - just picture if you will an equivalent of a Renault Clio, 3 adults all of which are photographers with bags of kit not to mention the standard suitcases and bags for a week long trip. Snug, that’s an understatement.
After a brief translation issue when I arrived at the apartment with more guests than I had declared, we set about exploring the local village. A picturesque small village perched on a hilltop, complete with Town square, church and a superb cafe and bar opposite, owned by a friend of our apartment owner. Bellissimo.
When they give you their all; Yasmin Ingham thanks Banzai du Loir after their dressage test, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
A quick visit to the venue in the afternoon to pick up passes and get acquainted with things - pick up a car full of dust and get settled for the week ahead.
You expect with your destination being Italy that there will be a casual nature to the event, after all all events on the continent appear somewhat more relaxed. What I didn’t expect was to turn up on the Tuesday to be in the midst of a scene more akin to my day job. We arrived to a building site. No joke, they were still building the media centre around us. Talk about cutting it fine.
The dust lay around like perfectly sieved black icing sugar, sprinkled across the top of the Pratoni cake… and just about everything and everyone became decorated in it. And it turned out Volcanic dust sticks to everything.
Blazing a trail - Oliver Townend & Ballaghmor Class leave a dust cloud in their wake, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
Wednesday came along, we arrived early to tackle the course walk before the sun reached sweltering degrees. Water bottle in hand, myself and Pam explored the Pratoni hills. Then we came to fence 7. Much had been anticipated about the slide. But nothing could have prepared me from standing above that log, staring out into the abyss - there was this sense of the impending doom to come on Saturday standing there.
All smiles at the first Horse Inspection - Laura Collett & London 52, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
We tackled the rest of the course and wearily made our way back to media centre. Then before we knew it, the horse inspection was upon us and the competition was go.
That night Charles went out to scout out local restaurants and he swiftly returned to relay the excitement of finding a lovely looking place in the town square. This became our go-to place for dinner! You expect exceptional pizza in Italy but these were beyond expectations, dreamy food with exceptional service from Lucia and her colleagues. And we made friends with the local felines (who I may have treated to some of my smoked goose starter). We became so besotted with these pizza’s that myself and Pam developed a double-act of asking the rhetorical question of what was for dinner, only for the other to reply with enthusiasm ‘Pizza!’
You looking at me?! Ballaghmor Class surveys his kingdom for the week at the first horse inspection, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
It became that we had to plot our way back from the dressage arena each break time to carefully avoid the spectator created dust clouds. We even contemplated putting rain covers on our kit just to keep the dust out!
Watching records tumble in the dressage, all seemed on-track for the Team medals come Friday afternoon.
All smiles as the Team GBR records tumbled, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
Cross country day arrived along with an insane weather forecast of 27 degrees; queue frantic water bottle stashing!
Thankfully the temperature estimates didn’t quite reach those sweltering heights but not far off. I ate my pizza guilt-free that evening knowing I’d expended enough calories running up and down those hills. A drama-filled day with elation and disappointment with equal measure…. Some clients had a great day, some not quite as great as we all hoped for; but everyone safely home so I’ll take that.
Hawley Awad & Jolly CAN tackle the slide, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
The video reels didn’t quite do the dust on cross-country justice, our now-brown dust covered hire car was filled with coughing fits all the way home as it lay in the back of your throat and filled tissues with the most concerning amount of colouration. Nice!
Yasmin Ingham & Banzai du Loir make light work of the cross country track - Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
The showjumping track delivered drama in spades… just not the way I had hoped. We arrived at the arena to find the photographer pen’s had been dismantled by eager spectators and weren’t going to be re-built?? So a hastily arranged one in the press stand was created, so elbow room was hard to come by with us all crammed in a tight space. This no doubt contributed to a colleague taking a very nasty tumble at the end of the competition.
Out of the despair of the team medal sadly slipping away from Team GB, attention quickly re-focused onto Yasmin’s showjumping round. In she came with a calmness beyond her young age. This incredible pair seemed to not share the nerves of the crowd and delivered a foot-perfect round. Then in came Michi.
Who’s the champion?! You are! Yasmin Ingham & Banzai share a moment of reflection ahead of the showjumping phase, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
Hindsight is easy to deliver, but in all honesty I wasn’t wowed as when I’ve seen him in the flesh before, by Chipmunk at Wednesday’s horse inspection. His coat lacked a bit of sparkle for me. No doubt, he’s world class. But the final halt wasn’t square, I for once agree with Sam on the podcast on that. But you do feel for anyone that loses a medal in that cruel way. (I do admit to letting out a huge cheer and fist punch when the second pole fell though, my bad!)
She was the Champion!
Champions of the World - Yasmin Ingham & Banzai du Loir, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
All champions have delivered stellar performances to earn their titles, but this young lady nailed it. Senior team debut on her horse of a lifetime. They both stayed cool, calm and calculated all week and delivered a championship worthy performance. Couldn’t be happier with the result.
My heart did break for Team GB; for Ros to miss an individual medal on a technicality for being too many seconds inside the time on XC, dear Thomas to roll those unfortunate poles after losing a shoe on XC day, Dan’s over exuberance on XC and Toledo to miss his moment. They are all Championship partnerships; some days just don’t go your way.
Dream team: Ros Canter & Lordships Graffalo storm around the cross country, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
Due to flight availability and what a decision given the exhaustion, we stayed the Sunday evening so had a very relaxing lie-in on Monday morning. We slowly made our way across the road to the now infamous cafe for latte and chocolate filled croissants (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, honestly game-changer!) for breakfast. We bumped into Lucia from the restaurant and said further goodbyes. Little did we realise until we enjoyed another round of drinks, that Lucia had popped inside and paid our bill. Wow, where else would you receive such kindness and generosity?!
Memories from an amazing trip, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
I had scoured the venue from top to bottom - how could this be?! No gelato stall! Utter madness that I had to wait till the airport departure lounge before enjoying my first Gelato (thankfully worth the wait).
It was a somber mood in rainy Heathrow as we landed, given the events of the day - it was sad not to have witnessed Her Majesty’s final journey whilst we’d been out in Pratoni, although we did get to watch the final details on board the plane whilst waiting to take take - our plane was the first to be able to take off given the closure of London air space.
Super groom Cesca Gorni shares a quiet moment with Toledo de Kerser, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
Championships are different gravy; the buzz, the camaraderie in the media centre, the excitement of who will win those coveted medals. It’s so much more important yet so many are just happy to have reached that point. An educated crowd frantically waving their country flags. Anticipation of special moments about to be witnessed first hand.
Standing atop the podium - Yasmin Ingham, World Champion, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
It’s so hard to enjoy and soak up what you are experiencing in the sweat-soaked moment; all the hard work and long hours take their tole. But looking back, I had an absolute blast. I was on top of the world and don’t regret a single moment of the journey.
Supergroup Sarah Charnley with Walter aka Lordships Graffalo, who looked epic all week thanks to her hard work, Pratoni del Vivaro, September 2022
I harp on regularly about being the luckiest girl around. Maybe that’s not true. Maybe you do make your own luck in the world. Or maybe it’s more hard work than luck. But whatever it is, I’m bloody glad it’s with me.
Pratoni, over and out. Where next?!